Parental Leave Brings Mental Health Benefits, Especially for Mothers

• New research, Patients and Families, Women

Along with all the excitement and anticipation, becoming a new parent comes with a great deal of change and potential stress, such as the challenges of childrearing, financial pressure and career uncertainties. This elevated stress can contribute to mental health problems, including peripartum depression. New research published in the Lancet finds that access to employer-provided parental leave may help protect mothers’ mental health in the months after childbirth.

The Mental Health Benefits of Simple Acts of Kindness

• Healthy living for mental well-being, Patients and Families

There are many reasons acts of kindness are good for the giver and the receiver. New research looks at the mental health benefits, finding that performing acts of kindness may help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.(1) “Acts of kindness” refer to benevolent and helpful actions intentionally directed towards another person, motivated by the desire to help another and not to gain reward or to avoid punishment

New Research Highlights the Expanding and Valuable Role Telepsychiatry is Playing in Improving Mental Health Care

Two studies released today in the journal Psychiatric Services add to the growing evidence of telepsychiatry’s contribution to improved mental health care. One study examined the use of telepsychiatry in emergency departments nationwide and a second looked at the use of telepsychiatry to improve screening, diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-related depression.

Personal Perspectives on Major Depressive Disorder, Part 1

These podcasts include the real-life experiences of people with mental illness and family members. Some of the content includes discussions of topics such as suicide attempts and may be triggering.

March Issues of American Psychiatric Association Journals Cover Advances in Depression Treatment, Suicide Risk Screening, and Mental Health Help Seeking Among Indigenous Populations

The March issues of two of the American Psychiatric Association’s journals, The American Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Services are now available online.

Infertility: The Impact of Stress and Mental Health

• Anxiety, Depression, Patients and Families, Women

Infertility, though often not talked about, is common. An estimated one in eight couples (or 12% of married women) have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. There are a range of complex connections between mental health and infertility.

How to Boost Mental Health Through Better Nutrition

• Healthy living for mental well-being, New research, Patients and Families

The relationship between nutrition and mental health is bidirectional: the foods we eat affect our mental health, and our mental health status affects what and how well we eat. This month, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) are partnering to highlight the interconnectedness of nutrition and mental health. To learn more about how the public views diet and mental health, APA conducted a poll between March 16 and 17, 2023, among a sample of 2,200

Depression

Learn about depression, including symptoms, risk factors, treatment options and answers to your questions.

Women, Disasters and Resilience

• Depression, Trauma, Women

Do women experience disasters, including planning, preparedness, response and recovery, differently than men? That is the question examined in a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report looks at the long-held notion in disaster behavioral health research that "women are more vulnerable to adverse mental health consequences of disaster than are men."

Purpose in Life Can Lead to Less Stress, Better Mental Well-being

• Healthy living for mental well-being, Patients and Families

What is purpose in life? It means having a central, organizing life aim, an overall sense of direction in one's life, and a belief that one’s life activities are valuable and important — making a positive mark on the world. Research indicates that having a purpose in life is good for mental health. For example, having greater purpose in life was significantly associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety.

New Patient Guide for Mood and Anxiety Disorders Available to the Public

A new book developed by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) and published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) provides readers with the evidence-based knowledge and tools to understand mood disorders and make informed decisions toward lasting mental health and wellbeing.

What Happens When You Quit, or at Least Really Cut Back, Your Social Media Use?

• Addiction, Anxiety, Depression, Patients and Families

For many people, checking social media regularly and spending a lot of time on it is a part of everyday life. But what is the impact on your well-being if you just quit for a while, or at least significantly cut back? You’ll probably be at least a little bit better off, according to a couple of recent studies. Substantial research over the past few years has linked social media use with reduced well-being, sleep problems and increased loneliness, depression and mental distress.